Actor Varun Tej’s new film, an Indo-Korean horror-comedy, has been titled Korean Kanakaraju, the makers announced on Monday to mark the actor’s 35th birthday.
Sharing the first-look teaser on X, the official handle of the film wrote, “Fun on one side, thrill on the other. Meet @IAmVarunTej in a never-before seen avatar as #KoreanKanakaraju.”
The two-minute-15-second-long video begins with a disturbing scene of an Indian photographer being tortured by Korean police demanding information about Tej’s character. The tension escalates with the actor’s entry as he fights off Korean officers, ending on an intense close-up where he says, “I am back.”
The upcoming Indo-Korean horror-comedy is written and directed by Merlapaka Gandhi.
Tej, who has starred in films such as Kanche, Operation Valentine, and Gandeevadhari Arjuna, also shared the title announcement video on his Instagram. The post was captioned, “Meet Korean Kanakaraju! See you all in theatres! Summer 2026.”
The film went on floors in March 2025 in Hyderabad, with the makers announcing the launch by posting pictures from the puja ceremony on X.
Produced by First Frame Entertainments and UV Creations, the film is scheduled to release in theatres this summer. Further details of the film are kept under the wraps.